Apparatus and methods for beam refinement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10256877-B2
Application number	US-201715667521-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 2, 2017
Priority date	Aug 2, 2017
Publication date	Apr 9, 2019
Grant date	Apr 9, 2019

Abstract

The apparatus may be an apparatus for wireless communication. The apparatus for wireless communication may include a processing system. The processing system may manage an antenna beam. The processing system may be configured to monitor a parameter of a signal and widen the antenna beam of the apparatus for wireless communication when the parameter falls below a threshold.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for wireless communication, comprising:
a processing system to manage an antenna beam, the processing system configured to:
monitor a parameter of a signal received on a first antenna beam;
widen the first antenna beam of the apparatus for wireless communication when the parameter does not satisfy a threshold; and
switch from the first antenna beam to a second antenna beam of the apparatus for wireless communication for the widened antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy the threshold after the first antenna beam has been widened to a predetermined maximum.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processing system is further configured to refine the widened antenna beam when the parameter satisfies the threshold.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein refining the widened antenna beam comprises monitoring the parameter of the signal on each narrower antenna beam of a plurality of narrower antenna beams that are within the coverage area of the widened antenna beam and selecting at least one narrower antenna beam of the plurality of narrower antenna beams.

4. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), peak SNR (PSNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), or bit-error-rate (BER).

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein widening the first antenna beam to the predetermined maximum occurs after widening the first antenna beam a plurality of times based on monitoring the parameter of the received signal.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the beam switching the antenna beam comprises changing a direction of the widened antenna beam.

7. A method of wireless communication, comprising:
monitoring a parameter of a received signal;
widening an antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy a threshold; and
beam switching the antenna beam for the widened antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy the threshold after the first antenna beam has been widened to a predetermined maximum.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising
refining the widened antenna beam when the parameter satisfies the threshold.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), peak SNR (PSNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINR), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), or bit-error-rate (BER).

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein widening the antenna beam to the predetermined maximum occurs after widening the antenna beam a plurality of times based on monitoring the parameter of the received signal.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein refining the antenna beam comprises monitoring the parameter of the signal on each narrower antenna beam of a plurality of narrower antenna beams that are within the widened antenna beam and selecting at least one narrower antenna beam of the plurality of narrower antenna beams.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the beam switching the antenna beam comprises changing a direction of the widened antenna beam.

13. A apparatus of wireless communication, comprising:
means for monitoring a parameter of a received signal;
means for widening an antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy a threshold; and
means for beam switching the antenna beam of the apparatus for wireless communication for the widened antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy the threshold after the first antenna beam has been widened to a predetermined maximum.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , further comprising means for refining the widened antenna beam when the parameter satisfies the threshold.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the parameter comprises at least one of signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), peak SNR (PSNR), signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio (SINK), signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), or bit-error-rate (BER).

16. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein widening the antenna beam to the predetermined maximum occurs after widening the antenna beam a plurality of times based on monitoring the parameter of the received signal.

17. The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein refining the antenna beam comprises monitoring the parameter of the signal on each narrower antenna beam of a plurality of narrower antenna beams that are within the widened antenna beam and selecting at least one narrower antenna beam of the plurality of narrower antenna beams.

18. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the beam switching the antenna beam comprises changing a direction of the widened antenna beam.

19. A computer-readable medium storing computer executable code, comprising code to:
monitor a parameter of a received signal;
widen an antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy a threshold; and
beam switching the antenna beam of the apparatus for wireless communication for the widened antenna beam when the parameter does not satisfy the threshold after the first antenna beam has been widened to a predetermined maximum.

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Rao Sandeep
• Chen Defang
• Qing Shan

Classifications

• H04B7/2621

  using frequency division multiple access [FDMA] (H04B7/2615 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04B7/2618

  using hybrid code-time division multiple access [CDMA-TDMA] · CPC title

• H04B7/088

  using beam selection · CPC title

• H04B7/043 Primary

  using best eigenmode, e.g. beam forming or beam steering · CPC title

• H03G3/3047

  for intermittent signals, e.g. burst signals · CPC title